Tag Archives: thriller

This week we are featuring J.T. Ellison, a New York Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers and her newest release: Lie to Me.

But before we indulge ourselves in this mind filling novel, we must, just must hear from J.T. Ellison about what is her favorite cocktail for tonight.

Whenever I have something to celebrate, and even when I don’t, there’s nothing I love more than a champagne cocktail. Simple, timeless, delicious. It’s one of my go-to drinks, especially in steamy summertime.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Fill the glass with brut champagne or another
bubbly (Cava or Prosecco make excellent CCs!), pop
in a cherry or a lemon twist, and enjoy. Ching-ching!

So lets kick back and relax with this scrumptious cocktail in hand and finally check out Lie To Me.

Blurb:

Domestic noir at its best. Readers will devour this stunning page turner about the disintegration of a marriage as grief, jealousy, betrayal and murder destroy the facade of the perfect literary couple. New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison takes her exceptional writing to a new level with this breakout novel.

They built a life on lies.

Sutton and Ethan Montclair’s idyllic life is not as it appears. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her.

Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless.

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE
IN WHICH INTRODUCTIONS ARE MADEYou aren’t going to like me very much. Oh, maybe in your weaker moments, you’ll feel sorry for me, and use those feelings of warmth and compassion and insightful understanding to excuse my actions. You’ll say to yourself, “Poor little girl. She couldn’t help herself.” Or, “Can you blame her? After all she’s been through?” Perhaps you’ll even think, “She was born to this. It is not her fault.”
Of course it’s my fault. I chose this path. Yes, I feel as if I have no choice, that I’m driven to do it, that there are voices in my head that push me to the dark side.
But I also know right from wrong. I know good from evil. I may be compelled to ruin the lives in front of me, but
I could walk away if I wanted.
Couldn’t I?
Never mind that. Back to you.
Truly, deep down, you are going to despise me. I am the rot that lives in the floorboards of your house. I am the spider that scuttles away when you shine light in my corner, ever watching, ever waiting. I am the shard of glass
that slits the skin of your bare foot. I am all the bad things that happen to you.
I steal things.
I kill things.
I leave a trail of destruction in my wake that is a sight to behold, wave after wave of hate that will overwhelm you until you sink to the bottom of my miserable little ocean, and once you’ve drowned I will feed on your flesh and turn your bones to dust.
You’re mine now. You are powerless against me. So don’t bother fighting it.
I hope you enjoy the show.

WE FIND A BODY
The body was in the woods off a meandering state road that led into a busy, charming historical downtown. It was completely obscured from view, deeply hidden, under several pine boughs and a thick layer of nature’s detritus. Synthetic clothing was melted to the flesh, making it difficult to tell the body’s race or gender at a glance. Closer investigation showed hair that was long and a curious shade: not blonde, not red, possibly chemically-treated. The left hand held evidence of rings, possibly a wedding set, and so the body was eventually determined as female.

The shroud of melt and bough had not stopped the forever daisy-chain progression of decay. Instar maggots and adult flies delighted in their found treat. A genus party started soon after. Diptera and Coleoptera were evident three days in, paving the way for the coming colonization of Calliphoridae. Though the body was burned beyond ready recognition, the insects didn’t seem to mind; it was simply a barbecue feast to them.

Outside of this natural progression, the body lay undisturbed for two days. Birds of prey flew in long, lazy circles overhead. Cars drove past less than fifty yards away, drivers unknowing, uncaring, that one of their own lay rotting nearby.

Three Days Gone, a stray but severe thunderstorm knocked free several of the funereal branches, allowing the body to be exposed, pelted by hail breaking through the leafy canopy. The heavy rains wet the ground and allowed the body to sink deeper into the muck, where it canted on its side.

Four Days Gone, the body was ravaged by a starving coyote, forty-two razor teeth shredding everything available.

Five Days Gone, the body disarticulated, the fire and the heat and the wet and the insects and the coyote and the natural progression of things breaking it down quickly and without thought to the effects this would have on the loved ones. The idea of a non-intact body was sometimes more than people could take.

Six Days Gone, they found her.

SOMETHING’S MISSING
Franklin, Tennessee
Now
Ethan found the note ten minutes after he rolled out of bed that Tuesday, the Tuesday that would change everything. He came downstairs yawning, scratching his chest, to… nothing. Empty space, devoid of wife.

Sutton always began her morning at the table with a bowl of cereal, a piece of fruit, and a cup of tea and read the paper, scoffing at the innumerable typos—the paper was going under, paying for decent copyediting was the least of their worries. A bowl full of cereal, a glass of milk and a spoon would be laid out for him, the sports page folded neatly by his seat. Always. Always.

But this morning, there was no evidence Sutton had been in the kitchen. No newspaper, no bowl. No wife.

He called for her. There was no answer. He searched through the house. Her bag was in her office, her cellphone, her laptop. Her license was stashed in her small wallet, all her credit cards present and accounted for, a twenty folded in half shoved behind them.

She must have gone for a run.
He felt a spark of pleasure at the thought. Sutton, once, had been a health nut. She’d run or walked or done yoga every day, something physical, something to keep her body moving and in shape. And what a shape—the woman was a knockout, willowy and lithe, strong legs and delicate ankles, tendons tight and gleaming like a thoroughbred. A body she sculpted to match his own, to fit with him.

Ethan Montclair couldn’t have a dog for a wife, no. He needed someone he could trot out at cocktail parties who looked smashing in a little black dress.

And not only looked good, but sounded good. He needed a partner on all levels—physical and intellectual. Maybe it was shallow of him, but he was a good looking man, drew a lot of
attention, and not only did he want his wife to be stunning, he wanted her to be smart, too. And Sutton fit the bill.

He knew they made a powerful, attractive couple. Looks and brains and success, so much success. That was their thing.

After Dashiell, she’d bounced back into shape like the champion racehorse she was, though later, when their world collapsed, she’d become tired and bloated and swollen with medications and depression, and she no longer took any interest in being beautiful and fit.

That she’d decided to start running again gave him hope. So much hope.

Spirits lifted, he went back to the sunny, happy kitchen and got his own bowl, his own milk. Made a pot of tea, whistling. Went for the stevia—no sugar for the healthconscious Montclairs, no, never.

That was when he saw it. Small. White. Lined. Torn from a spiral bound notebook, a Clairefontaine, Sutton’s favorite for the smooth, lovely paper.

This… thing… was incongruous with the rest of their spotless kitchen. Sutton was above all things a pathological neatnik. She’d never just leave something lying about.

All the happiness fled. He knew. He just knew. He’d been all wrong. She hadn’t gone running.

He picked up the note.

Dear Ethan,I’m sorry to do this to you, but I need some time away. I’vebeen unhappy, you know that. This shouldn’t come as a bigsurprise. Forgive me for being a coward. Forgive me, for somany things.Don’t look for me.S

She was gone.
He felt something squeezing in his chest, a pain of sorts, and realized that his heart had just broken. He’d always thought that a stupid, silly term, but now he knew. It could happen, it was happening. He was being torn in two, torn to shreds. No wonder there were rites warning against this
—What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

God was ripping him apart in punishment, and he deserved it. He deserved it all.

He didn’t cry. There were no tears left for either of them to shed.

He put the note down carefully, as if it were a bomb that might go off with the wrong touch. Went to their bedroom. Nothing seemed out of place. Her brush, her makeup case, her toothbrush, all lined up carefully on the marble. Her suitcase was in the closet.

He went back downstairs to her office, at the back of the house. Doubled checked.
Her laptop was on her desk.
Her cellphone was in the charger.
Her purse was on the floor next to her chair.
Her wallet inside, the smiling DMV photo that made her look like a model.
Like a zombie, he moved back to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and got out the milk. Poured cereal in the bowl. Dropped the stevia into his tea. Sat at the empty table, stared at the spot where his wife’s head should have been.

What was he supposed to do now? Where could she be? He ran through the possibilities, the places she loved, discarding one after another. Surely he was wrong in his thinking. Surely she’d simply run away, to one of her friends. That’s where she’d gone. Should he call Ivy and see if Sutton was camped in her kitchen, instead of his? Should he give her some time, and space, like she asked?

She left without her things, Ethan. Sutton’s lifelines are her laptop and phone. It’s her office, her world.

A dawning realization. Sutton hadn’t shaken the depression, not completely. She was still prone to fits of melancholy. She might have done something stupid, crazy. She’d tried once before, after… Oh, God. Her words. Perhaps she was telling him exactly what she’d done.I’m a coward. Forgive me. Don’t look for me.
He threw the bowl of cereal across the room.
“Bloody fucking hell. You selfish, heartless bitch.”

About J.T. Ellison:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.T. Ellison writes standalone domestic noir and psychological thriller series, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens, and pens the international thriller series “A Brit in the FBI” with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Cohost of the EMMY Award-winning literary television show A Word on Words, Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.
Follow J.T. online at Facebook.com/JTEllison14, on Twitter @thrillerchick, or on Instagram @jt_thrillerchick for more insight into her wicked imagination.

Praise
“[An] exceptional domestic thriller from bestseller Ellison… this standalone may be Ellison’s best work to date.”
—★ Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Wonderful … a one-more-chapter, don’t-eat-dinner, stay-up-late sensation.”
—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of NO MIDDLE NAME

“Fans of GONE GIRL will gobble up this thriller about a marriage from hell, which moves at a blazing-fast pace and smoothly negotiates more twists and turns than the backroads of Tennessee. J.T. Ellison will keep you guessing every step of the way to the surprise ending!”
—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of ONE PERFECT LIE

“LIE TO ME twists you up, throws you into nail-biting action and unexpected revelations. Belt yourself in for this roller coaster ride.”
—Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of ENIGMA

“LIE TO ME brilliantly combines a domestic noir thriller with a searing portrait of two writers trapped in a web of lies, betrayals, and murder. Sharply written and masterfully plotted, full of hard truths about the creative life and modern marriage, Ellison has written her finest novel—a breakout page-turner certain to win her a wide audience.”
—Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of BLAME

“A wickedly good thriller about a picture-perfect marriage that is anything but, LIE TO ME has it all: murder, lies and betrayal. J.T. Ellison will have readers hanging onto the edge of their seats with her latest cunning tale.”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of EVERY LAST LIE

“Secrets, secrets, who has more secrets? Writers or wives? With more surprises than a kitchen sink casserole, in LIE TO ME, J.T. Ellison lets us in on what goes on behind the closed doors of both.”
—Helen Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE

“Ellison knows how to deliver gripping psychological suspense… Appearances can be deceiving, but Ellison’s writing is not.”
—Library Journal

“…An astonishing and satisfying ending that makes for a fantastic reading experience.”
—RT Book Reviews

But before we take upon the quest of learning about Aimee’s book, let us find out what is her favorite drink.

I’m a huge diet Coke lover. I started drinking it to help with chalky mouth from my medication, lol. Now, if you’re talking about an adult beverage, I don’t do social drinking or drink on a regular basis unless it’s according to

1 Timothy 5:23: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” King James Version (KJV)

This basically means, if you have sickness in your stomach or other infirmities, to have a LITTLE wine to help. That’s precisely what I do. I have chronic digestion issues, diverticulitis and sour stomach. I also have chronic pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. So, according to God’s word, I drink a little wine to help, not to get a buzz or to get drunk. The one wine that helps me the most, is chilled Manischewitz wine. I put a lot of ice into it, I know this sounds strange, but it’s a very sweet wine. I only need a tiny amount and just as the Bible says, it completely helps my stomach or my body. I started drinking it probably over 10 years ago when my mother reminded me of the Bible verse and encouraged me to have a little to help. I’m thankful she did because it does help me quite a bit lol.

Blurb:

“There are crucial decisions Angelica must make regarding her life and purpose.”

“Will she expire in a jail cell? Will she select death for the One she loves?”
“Aimee’s descriptions of the era are done so well that you will feel like you are right there with Angelica. At times I was bold with her and other times, well most of the time, I wished I was as courageous in the Lord as Angelica. Don’t miss out on this truly inspirational read, geared toward introducing a very personal relationship with Christ as well as encouraging one in their faith to stand up for him no matter what life may bring.”- Victoria Simcox

One prophetic night of birth, shakes and shapes history as we know it.

The life of a beautiful girl from Bethlehem, born that same prophetic night as Jesus, faces her final end when she is forced to decide either renounce Jesus and live or acknowledge Him and die.
Angelica was arrested and imprisoned, by Saul of Tarsus, for preaching on the narrow streets of Jerusalem. While awaiting a horrible death of stoning, she decides to write her life’s story which begins in Bethlehem when her father an inn keeper met a young couple one night. He had no room in the inn. All he had to offer them was a stable. Follow her on the journey of her life as she meets Bible characters and sees things her innocent eyes have never seen before.
Will Angelica’s life mission end in a prison cell…will she choose life or will she choose death for the One she loves?

This novel will make you walk away a believer and broken questioning the very core of your being. Are you brave enough to read it?

Excerpt:

Jesus has already suffered the ultimate crucifixion. Rising again causes fear in the heart of the King, jealous of any arrival of a so-called “new king”.

Jerusalem is in utter mayhem, full of soldiers and stampeding horses, a complete panic. Those who believe in Jesus are arrested, imprisoned, and put to death by Saul of Tarsus. He zealously persecutes the church, seizing men and women, called the ‘followers’ or ‘Christians’ for causing uproar. The uproar, telling people about Jesus Christ, the One many speak of, Who was dead and His body stolen. The Christians however, faithful to Jesus, know better.

Early one dusky morning, a man saunters down a steep, stony staircase leading into a cold, underground prison where the walls seep of water. A wretched, lingering scent reeks of death throughout the dark, damp and brisk prison. Its walls hold the memory of those dying and having perished inside the grey and black encumbrance.

At the end of the stairs sits a wooden chair and a small, round table where a candle, dripping of wax, remains lit. The only light illuminates throughout the darkened prison. The man passes by the cells, to the right and left, holding men and women, who will be put to death for their crimes. Their only crime is to preach Jesus Christ. The prisoners sing songs to the Lord, while many others pray, fearfully eyeing the man who passes their cell. Thoughts prick their mind, “Am I next?” His armor clinks and his sandals sweep across the hard, stoned floor until he finally stops at the last cell of the prison. Disdainfully, he looks down on one prisoner.

“Woman, I have what you sent for.” Speaking abruptly and callously, there stands the prison guard, dressed in red and gold armor. He leers at the young woman through the cell bars. She lies on a bed of hay, her legs tucked tightly to her bosom. Her arms are crossed as she sleeps. Struggling to keep warm, her eyes barely open, from sheer exhaustion.

The woman of fair complexion snuggles, with a head wrap. She wears an off-white gown with a colored, striped sash. In an unlit cell, lying in a puddle of putrid water, her hair shines like the sun, in long ringlets. Her sky blue eyes distract from the obvious dirt and grime staining her body and clothing.

Reverend Aimée Marie Bejarano is a Christian YA Author of inspirational, historical fiction and paranormal thriller/horror novels. She’s a country girl living in the great state of Texas. Aimée’s a musician and has worked with the youth for years. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, and gardening. Her inspiration comes from the Lord and delves into good books, movies and things of the supernatural and paranormal enlightening people to what God’s word says on the controversial subjects. On cool evenings, she loves taking leisure walks. Writing is not only a calling but a means to get away into the world of imagination. Aimée is an ordained Reverend and loves the youth, personal prayer and welcomes prayer requests.
Aimée began writing at the age of 16 when home schooled. A simple creative writing assignment turned into a book.

But before we dive into her book lets find out from Diana what is her favorite cocktail.

My favorite cocktail is the strawberry daiquiri. I am not sure what the recipe is, as I am used to other people making it for me. But I enjoy drinking it near the beach, as it reminds me of summertime. 🙂

I absolutely adore history, and I have a special fondness for colonial America. I got the opportunity to visit Bath, NC, a few years ago. Blackbeard was rumored to have visited during his piracy years. The city has a special kind of magic to it that you can only experience by being there.

Not to worry Diana, we do have a recipe for you and for all of your fans:

Recipe:

6 cups of ice

1/2 cup white sugar

4 ounces frozen strawberries

1/8 cup lime juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup rum

1/4 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

In a blender, combine ice, sugar and strawberries. Pour in lime juice, lemon juice, rum and lemon-lime soda. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

So lest kick back with this delicious beverage and learn more about Dian’s latest book: Blackbeard’s Daughter

Synopsis:

Blackbeard’s life begins as a wealthy and privileged child who desires to be free from the confines of upper-class life. The murder of his beloved servant and the loveless marriage between his parents scar him emotionally. He eventually marries and has a child named Margaret. Her life takes one disastrous turn after the other as she confronts the perils of illness, murder, war, assault, and revenge. When her father decides to pursue a life aboard a pirate’s vessel, Margaret eventually joins him in an effort to save his life. Though unsuccessful, Margaret discovers the unforgettable treasure that her father has left her: love, laughter, and an unquenchable spirit for adventure.

Excerpt:

I showed up at Father’s door a few days later. I was determined. I had a mission. And nothing would change my mind.
“Margaret, I advise – strongly – against you doing any kind of combat.”
“Father, they stole everything from me. I have nothing left.”
“Margaret, this is very dangerous.”
“Yes, well, life is dangerous. But I can’t sit around and let things continue to happen. Not anymore.”
Father sighed. He handed me four handguns. “The key, Margaret, is to never reload. Reload, and die. It’s much better to have several guns already loaded.”
“Alright.”
“Do you need to practice more?”
“No. I think I can manage. Thank you, though.”
“Alright. We are launching an attack on an English base due west of here. Will you join us?”
“You know I will.”
**
The next day, I prepared my weapons. I saw the English ship sailing straight for us. I knew we were in for a fight.
I boarded the ship first, screaming. The men appeared taken aback by this. An empowered woman, leading the charge against the enemy! I shot them point blank range, straight in the head.
“Miss, please!” one of them cried. “I can’t fight a woman!” I stared deep into his eyes, and shot him in his throat. He stumbled back, and then fell off the ship.
It was the quickest battle we’d ever had.
I stood over the massive body count I had accumulated. The pirates stared at me, their mouths gaping. But no one spoke.
“Send me the next one,” I demanded. “I want more.”
“Margaret, we need time to recharge.”
“I don’t care! Send me more!”
“We can launch some raids.”
“I’ll kill those men, too!”
“Margaret, you made me promise not to kill captives.”
I paused. I had forgotten about that.
“More attacks! More!”
Father had orchestrated some offensive moves to quell our English enemies. I lead the charge, screaming, picking off the men one-by-one. I developed a bit of a reputation among the pirates. They didn’t know what to think of a cruel, murderous woman. It went against all their sensibilities.
The more men I killed, the better. I considered it a trophy of my rage.
Father was able to terrify the Englishmen with his fiery beard. I, meanwhile, had to rely on sheer strength and power. But ultimately, we were the perfect pairing. No one could destroy us.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Education. I have authored and self-published several short stories on Smashwords and Amazon. One such title is Rescuing the Titanic, a fictional account of the Californian arriving before the Titanic sank. I have also published several nonfiction articles for HubPages on medieval and renaissance historical figures. Feel free to click on the link below to access all 10 articles.